Albanese backs in Labor’s AUKUS commitment

The Opposition Leader says China has become more ‘forward leaning’ as he stresses the importance of Australia’s relationship with its AUKUS partners.

Labor is supporting AUKUS but has also backed a Senate inquiry to investigate questions it says remained unanswered about the trilateral partnership. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Anthony Albanese has doubled-down on Labor’s commitment to the AUKUS military pact after Scott Morrison accused the opposition of threatening Australia’s national security interests and siding with China.

Last week, the Prime Minister said Labor had joined Beijing in undermining Australia’s defence sovereignty and had an “each-way bet on national security”, as he began a pre-election blitz of key marginal seats in NSW and Victoria.

Labor is supporting AUKUS but has also backed a Senate inquiry to investigate questions it says remained unanswered about the trilateral partnership and the nuclear submarine deal.

The war of words came after former prime minister Paul Keating last week lashed both major parties for their stance on China, arguing Australia had lost its way on foreign policy.

He told the Nat­ional Press Club Taiwan was not a vital Australian interest and it should not be drawn into military conflict with China over the island.

On Sunday, the Opposition Leader dismissed Mr Keating’s criticism of Labor’s foreign policy position, saying China had “changed its posture in recent times”.

“It’s got far more forward-leaning,” he told Sky News.

“It’s important that Australia stands up for Australian values and we’ll continue to do that.

“And, of course, at the same time it’s important that we have economic relations with China and other countries in our ­region,” he said.

Mr Albanese said if Labor won the next federal election, it would proceed with the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal – an attempt to bolster Australia’s military power in the Indo-Pacific region in an ­effort to counter China.

He also upheld the importance of the Australia’s relationship with the AUKUS partners.

“It was the Labor Party that forged the ANZUS alliance in the wake of World War Two,” he said.

“It was John Curtin who turned to America during WWII in 1942.

“Ever since then, Labor governments have always supported the US alliance and, of course, we have an important historic relationship with the UK.”